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June Housing Starts Jump in Kitchener

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - July 9, 2010) - Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) released June preliminary housing starts data for the Kitchener Census Metropolitan Area1 (CMA) today. Construction began on 388 homes, more than double the 146 units started in the same month last year.

Builders poured foundations for 135 single-detached homes in June, up from the 77 units started in June 2009. While townhouse starts increased, it was the surge in apartment starts that pulled total starts significantly higher. Cambridge and Kitchener starts were higher due to the increase in both single-detached and apartment starts. In the first half of 2010, construction began on 1,566 homes, up from the 831 units started in the same period of 2009.

"Residential construction in the first half of this year was at the highest level in five years," said Erica McLerie, Senior Market Analyst for the Kitchener CMA. "The strong level of apartment construction, as well as the increased demand for new homes in the latter part of 2009 and early 2010 were responsible for the strength of new residential construction this year," added McLerie.

As Canada's national housing agency, CMHC draws on more than 60 years of experience to help Canadians access a variety of quality, environmentally sustainable and affordable homes. CMHC also provides reliable, impartial and up-to-date housing market reports, analysis and knowledge to support and assist consumers and the housing industry in making vital decisions.

HOUSING STARTS - KITCHENER CMA

YEAR-OVER-YEAR COMPARISON - MONTH OF JUNE AND YEAR-TO-DATE

Single

Semi

TH

Apt

Total

% Chg

Single

Semi

TH

Apt

Total

% Chg

Cambridge City

Cambridge City

June 2010

49

0

15

61

125

346.4%

YTD '10

126

2

30

65

223

-19.2%

June 2009

17

0

11

0

28

YTD '09

174

2

100

0

276

Kitchener City

Kitchener City

June 2010

55

14

45

114

228

375.0%

YTD '10

355

72

171

185

783

132.3%

June 2009

37

2

9

0

48

YTD '09

159

12

92

74

337

Waterloo City

Waterloo City

June 2010

6

0

4

0

10

-76.7%

YTD '10

67

0

8

320

395

255.9%

June 2009

8

0

5

30

43

YTD '09

33

0

25

53

111

Woolwich Twp.

Woolwich Twp.

June 2010

19

0

0

0

19

-26.9%

YTD '10

119

0

19

2

140

35.9%

June 2009

14

12

0

0

26

YTD '09

77

18

8

0

103

North Dumfries Twp.

North Dumfries Twp.

June 2010

6

0

0

0

6

500.0%

YTD '10

25

0

0

0

25

525.0%

June 2009

1

0

0

0

1

YTD '09

4

0

0

0

4

KITCHENER CMA2

KITCHENER CMA2

June 2010

135

14

64

175

388

165.8%

YTD '10

692

74

228

572

1566

88.4%

June 2009

77

14

25

30

146

YTD '09

447

32

225

127

831

Source: CMHC

2Kitchener CMA includes Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Woolwich and North Dumfries

1Statistics Canada defines a census metropolitan area (CMA) as one or more adjacent municipalities integrated with an urban core. A CMA must have a total population of at least 100,000 of which 50,000 or more must live in the urban core.